A variety of apparatuses are known for containing a variety of chemical, biological, and biochemical samples. “Incubators” or, equivalently, “cell culture incubators,” as referred to herein, are commonly used for cell and other biological cultures and are configured to be able to maintain the surrounding environment at a certain temperature (e.g., 32° C. or 37° C.), and at a certain relative humidity (e.g., 95% or 100% relative humidity) and/or a certain gas concentration (e.g., an environment comprising 5% or 10% carbon dioxide). Incubators are generally able to maintain these conditions for extended periods of time, for example for days or weeks.
Typically, laboratory incubators have an openable door and a series of shelves inside, as well as sensors for maintaining the internal environment at certain specified values. Upon opening the door, large changes in the internal environment of the incubator may occur, as the outside environment (typically at ambient temperatures and pressure) mixes with the internal environment of the incubator. For example, large shifts in temperature, relative humidity, or gas concentrations can occur within the internal environment of the incubator, which can cause adverse effects on cells or other biological cultures present within the incubator. Reestablishing the proper internal environment within the incubator can take significant time in many cases, which can further adversely affect the cells or other biological cultures.